Miss Me
by mon-petit-pois
Summary: "So what are you doing here? Some kind of monastic experience? Doing penance?" That summer changed her, and, despite what she thinks, he is convinced that it was for the better.


Dedication: This one's for Amber:)

"Come on, Ziva! It'll be fun! Just like old times!" Abby begged, but so far Ziva hadn't budged.

"Abby, I really do not think I am up for drinks tonight..." Ziva tried to excuse herself.

"Please? We need to celebrate your return!" Abby pleaded. Ziva sighed, knowing that it was no use.

"Fine, I will come for a little while," she caved. Abby's grin spread from one ear to the other, and she wrapped her arms around Ziva.

"Thank you! And Tony, Timmy, El Jefe? Are you coming?"

"I got nothing better to do tonight," Tony said, agreeing.

"Of course I will come," Tim said.

"Gibbs?" Abby prompted. "Your boat and bourbon can wait! This is a special occasion!" Abby tried to persuade him. Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"I'll come, Abs," he told her. Abby squealed.

"YAY! Be at the bar at 1900!" she said, before leaving the squadroom.

…

There were not many people at the bar. It was a tuesday night, and not many people stay to midnight on tuesday nights.

The party had died down. Abby, Tim, and Gibbs had already left, leaving Tony and Ziva sipping their drinks. As a new song came on, and idea struck Tony.

_Now that she's back in the atmosphere_

_with drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey hey_

_She acts like summer and walks like rain_

_Reminds me that there's a time to change, hey, hey_

"Dance?" he asked, holding out his hands. Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Tony..."

"Come on, no one else is here! Please, Zee-VAH? It's better than just sitting here in that God-awful awkward silence!" Tony pointed out, looking up at her from under his eyelashes. Ziva sighed.

_Since the return from her stay on the moon_

_She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey_

"Fine, one song," she agreed. Tony smiled.

"Thank you," he said, as he grabbed her hands and pulled her over to an area without any tables.

_Tell me did you sail across the sun_

_Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the_

_lights all faded_

_And that heaven is overrated_

Ziva laughed as she twirled out, then back into his arms.

"Whoa, there, ninja," he chuckled.

_Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star,_

_one without a permanent scar_

"Can not handle my dancing skills, Tony?" she teased.

"I think it's the other way around," he joked, as he dipped her.

_And did you miss me while you were_

_looking for yourself out there?_

They danced until the song was over. When Ziva went to pull away, Tony caught her arm.

"One more song?" he pleaded. She shook her head.

"I really have to go, sorry," she said, "See you tomorrow!" she called to him as she left the bar, leaving Tony standing there alone.

…

"Four freaking _hours_!" Tony moaned. Ziva sighed.

"You have been complaining ever since we left! And that was..." she checked her watch, "five minutes ago! Chill, Tony!" she commanded.

"You aren't the one driving," he groaned.

"I told you I would drive us to the crime scene, but you insisted you drive!" she objected.

"Yeah, because I would rather suck it up and drive for four hours than be _wrapped around a tree trunk!_" he cried.

"I do not drive that bad. I have _never _been in an accident!" she pointed out.

"Well, I didn't want to have to clean the puke up from the floor of the car," he said. She sighed.

"Whatever, but if you are going to drive I do not want to hear another complaint out of you, got it?" she asked.

"Fine. Can we at least have some music?"

"Anything to drown out your groaning," she agreed, reaching to plug in her iPod that Abby had gotten her.

A familiar song was playing.

_Now that she's back from that soul vacation_

_Tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey_

_She checks out Mozart while she does tae-bo_

_reminds me that there's room to grow, hey, hey_

"You like Train?" Tony asked. Ziva turned away, just in case she was blushing.

"Is that a crime?" she asked, purposely avoiding the question.

"Nope, just wondering. However, you did not answer my question."

"Sure, I like... erm... Brain," she replied. Tony rolled his eyes.

_Now that she's back in the atmosphere_

_I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain ol Jane._

_Told a story about a man_

_who is too afraid to fly so he never did land._

"Ziva..." he sighed.

"Fine! It is not so much the song as it is the... the memory that comes with it," she admitted. Tony smiled triumphantly.

"You liked dancing with me, huh?" Tony smirked.

"Oh, do not flatter yourself," she deflected it.

_Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet_

_did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day?_

_And head back to the milky way?_

"So, did you find yourself out there?" Tony half-teased. Ziva smirked, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

_And tell me, did Venus blow your mind?_

_Was it everything you wanted to find?_

"Depends what you mean. I did not exactly... go to the milky way," she pointed out. "_But_ I did... find myself, so to speak."

"How so?"

_And did you miss me while you were_

_looking for yourself out there?_

"The killer part of me died. Now, all that lives is the real me, the real Ziva," she explained.

"I'm glad you found yourself," Tony smiled. Ziva laughed at how corny that sounded.

_Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken_

_Your best friend always sticking up for you..._

_Even when I know you're wrong_

_can you imagine no first dance,_

_freeze dried romance,_

_Five-hour phone conversation_

_Best soy latte that you ever had..._

_And me._

"It was... not a fun thing to undergo. I almost died, multiple times," she informed him. He nodded.

"But you survived, and that is all that matters," he insisted.

"I am damaged-"

"No, you are stronger," he disagreed.

_But tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet?_

_Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day,_

_And head back toward the milky way?_

"Can I not be both?" she asked.

"You may be damaged, but damage can be fixed. You are _fixed_, Ziva," he said.

"Maybe," she replied.

"We missed you, Ziva. All of us, more than you can imagine," he promised her.

_Tell me did you sail across the sun_

_did you make it to the milky way_

_to see the lights all faded_

_And that heaven is overrated_

"Thank you for saving me," she said.

"Anytime. We will always have your six."

_Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star?_

_One without a permanent scar?_

_And did you miss me while you were_

_Looking for yourself out there._

"Oh, and, Tony?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"I missed you, too."

A/N: please review and tell me what you think!

Works Cited (MLA format):

Colin, Charlie, Jimmy Stafford, Pat Monahan, Rob Hotchkiss, and Scott Underwood. Lyrics. "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)." _Drops of Jupiter._ MP3. Columbia. 2001. 23 July 2011.


End file.
